24th Helicopter Squadron


The 24th Helicopter Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It is a regular air force associate of the reserve 703d Helicopter Squadron, conducting training on the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf.
The squadron's first predecessor was organized in 1939 as the 24th Bombardment Squadron. It served as a test organization for light bomber and attack aircraft until it was disbanded in 1942.
Its second predecessor was activated later in 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron. After training in the United States, it deployed to India, operating mapping detachments in India and China. At the end of World War II, it moved to the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. Redesignated the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, it was activated in the reserve in 1947, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped with combat aircraft before inactivating in 1949. It was reactivated in 1951 under Strategic Air Command as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron. Its mission changed to bombardment the following year, but with two active units both named the 24th Bombardment Squadron, it was inactivated six months later.
The third predecessor of the squadron is the 24th Helicopter Squadron, activated as a light transport unit. It trained in the United States before moving to Japan, where it served until inactivating in 1960. In 1969, it was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in the Panama Canal Zone. It was redesignated the 24th Composite Squadron in 1971. In 1985, it was consolidated with the other two predecessor units. The squadron participated in Operation Just Cause before inactivating in 1991 as the Air Force reduced its presence in Panama.
From 1987 to 1991 and again from 2018 to 2022 it was active as the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron.

Mission

The squadron conducts advanced training on the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf, focused on complex operational scenarios, including night landings, low-altitude maneuvers and precision targeting.

History

World War II

Proving ground unit

The first predecessor of the squadron was the 24th Bombardment Squadron which was activated in late 1939 as a test unit for light bombardment aircraft at Maxwell Field, Alabama. The squadron was disbanded in the spring of 1942 in a reorganization of United States Army Air Forces operational testing units.

Mapping in the Pacific

The second predecessor of the squadron was activated in the fall of 1942 as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron. After training in the United States under Second Air Force, the squadron deployed to the China Burma India Theater, where it performed combat mapping. mostly with North American B-25 Mitchells and Consolidated B-24 Liberators equipped with vertical and oblique Mapping cameras until moving to Clark Field in the Philippines, where it was inactivated in 1946. In Asia, the squadron deployed detachments to a number of locations, although the headquarters remained in Guskhara Airfield, India.

Air Force reserve

The squadron was activated again in the reserves in 1947 as the 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, but apparently was not equipped before inactivating when Continental Air Command reorganized under the Wing Base Organization plan in 1949.

Strategic Air Command

The squadron was activated in the regular Air Force in 1951 as the 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron at Lake Charles Air Force Base, Louisiana and equipped with Boeing RB-29 Superfortresses. When its parent 68th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing converted to a bombardment mission in 1952, the squadron became the 24th Bombardment Squadron, but was inactivated in 1953, and its personnel and equipment were transferred to the 656th Bombardment Squadron, which was simultaneously activated.

Helicopter operations

The third predecessor of the squadron was activated in 1956 as the 24th Helicopter Squadron at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee. After several months of training the squadron moved to Tachikawa Air Base, Japan, where it served until 1960. The transfer was made on an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. The unit's mission was to maintain helicopter logistics airlift capability, to perform air land supply operations, scheduled and special airlift operations, and conduct training. Detachment 2 of the squadron was attached to the 41st Air Division to provide logistical support to the division's remote radar sites. In 1958 and 1959 the squadron returned to Burma when it participated in Operation South Bound, which provided assistance to the Burmese Air Force in combatting local insurrectionists.

Operations in Central and South America

The squadron was redesignated the 24th Special Operations Squadron and activated in Panama in 1969. In 1985, the squadron was consolidated with its two predecessor units. The consolidated squadron became the 24th Tactical Air Support Squadron in 1987, and was inactivated in the spring of 1991.

Close air support training

The squadron was activated on 2 March 2018 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. It was the USAF's Forward Air Controller – Airborne schoolhouse for the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon as well as supporting the joint terminal attack controller qualification course and Weapons School.
The squadron became non operational in December 2020, which was marked by an "inactivation ceremony" at Nellis. It was inactivated on 1 June 2022.

Helicopter training

The squadron was redesignated the 24th Helicopter Squadron and activated in December 2024 at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. It is a regular Air Force associate of Air Force Reserve Command's 703d Helicopter Squadron, conducting training on the Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter. It is assigned to the 58th Operations Group, stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron will train its first cohort of students for the Grey Wolf. They will build on foundational skills learned in basic helicopter courses, refining them into mission-ready capabilities focused on complex operational scenarios, including night landings, low-altitude maneuvers and precision targeting.

Lineage

; 24th Bombardment Squadron
  • Constituted as the 24th Attack-Bombardment Squadron on 1 August 1939
; 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron
  • Constituted as the 24th Photographic Mapping Squadron on 14 July 1942
  • Redesignated 24th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, Radar Counter-Measures on 13 May 1947
  • Redesignated 24th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Medium, Photographic on 4 October 1951
  • Consolidated on 19 September 1985 with 24th Bombardment Squadron, and 24th Composite Squadron as 24th Composite Squadron
; 24th Helicopter Squadron
  • Constituted as the 24th Helicopter Squadron on 24 February 1956
  • Redesignated 24th Special Operations Squadron on 6 March 1969
  • Consolidated with 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium and 24th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 19 September 1985
  • Activated on 2 March 2018
  • Redesignated 24th Helicopter Squadron on 23 October 2024

Assignments

Stations

Detachment Locations during World War II

  • Hsinching Airfield, China, 17 March 1944 – 9 April 1944, 27 April 1944 − c. 1 July 1944, October–November 1944
  • Jorhat Airfield, India, 9 April 1944 – 22 April 1944
  • Liuchow Airfield, China, 10 July 1944 – 22 September 1944
  • Chanyi Airfield, China, 22 September 1944 – 17 February 1945
  • Pengshan Airfield, China, November 1944
  • Tulihal and Cox's Bazar, India, February 1945 − c. April 1945

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns

Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
200pxIndia-Burma5 January 1944 – 28 January 194524th Combat Mapping Squadron
200pxCentral Burma29 January 1945 – 15 July 194524th Combat Mapping Squadron
200pxChina Defensive5 January 1944 – 4 May 194524th Combat Mapping Squadron
200pxJust Cause20 December 1989–31 January 199024th Tactical Air Support Squadron, Panama